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The Shadow of the Scaffold
|next = }} Violet Fernsley (Emma Stansfield), convicted of killing her pig-farmer husband whose body has never been found, is given a temporary reprieve from the gallows when she claims she is pregnant. The pregnancy test gives Father Brown three days to find the real killer. When her husband's finger turns up in a pig's stomach, it points to a serial killer amongst the family. Father Brown's investigation concludes God's law is above man's law. Synopsis Father Brown is present for the final confession and to perform the last rites of Violet Fernsley, who is awaiting her imminent execution for the murder of her abusive husband Ivan, who's body was never found. She refuses to confess to Ivan's murder and insists that she is innocent. A last minute appeal fails and Violet is led to the noose, at the last minute, she claims she is pregnant, which immediately halts the execution. Charlie, a prison guard informs Brown that a pregnancy test will take three days to return the results. If the test is positive, her sentence will be commuted, a negative test will lead to the execution being redone. Brown is suspicious of the validity of Violet's claim, she begs him to clear her name, and advises him to speak to a man named Peter. Meanwhile at Fernsley Farm, Ivan's disabled mother Ethel and her remaining son's Archie and Wilf await the news of Violet's execution, only to be informed of what has just occurred. Brown goes to the Fernsley's butcher shop in the village and is stopped by Inspector Sullivan, who has anticipated that Brown will get involved, though the priest claims he is merely buying meat for supper. It is revealed that Brown was on retreat during the initial investigation, and Sullivan remains confident that Violet is the killer and doubts her pregnancy claim. Eight months prior to the murder, Ivan had assaulted her and caused her to miscarry and the trauma left her unable to conceive. Brown feigns his departure until Sullivan has left, then proceeds to speak to Wilf, he claims to know several Peters, all of which had no motive to kill Ivan. Brown then mentions how Wilf inherited the farm and the butcher's shop from Ivan; insulted, Wilf insists threatens Brown to keep away from his family. Back at the prison, it is revealed that Charlie and Violet have been in a discreet relationship, and the former actually proposes. Brown heads to the farm and discovers Sid sitting outside, Lady Felicia is inside comforting Ethel. The pair go snooping around the farmhouse and bump into Archie, who is revealed to be a slightly disturbed character with a penchant for taxidermy. Father Brown discovers a photo of the family with some farmhands, one of whom is named Piotr referred to as Peter. Archie explains that he had a thing for Violet and left around the time of Ivan's death. Brown then speaks to Ethel, who recounts that she heard Violet and Ivan arguing then it suddenly went silent, she also claimed to see Violent attempting to wash her bloodstained hands in the water trough, Violet's claim of being bitten by a pig failed due to the lack of injuries on her. At the butchers the next morning, Mrs McCarthy complains to Wilf about the quality of meat Brown had brought the day before. Wilf shrugs it off and makes a grim discovery whilst cutting up some pig stomachs, a human finger with a ring on it. The ring is confirmed to be Ivan's, thus his death is confirmed, his body appears to have been fed to the pigs on the farm. Brown provides Sullivan with the information about Piotr's disappearance, though Sullivan rejects it, saying Piotr left the farm weeks before Ivan's death. Brown heads to the prison to perform Holy Communion for Violet, though instead he questions her sending him on a wild goose chase, she insists that she doesn't think Piotr was responsible but suggests he may also be a victim. Piotr had been sympathetic to Violet's plight and attempted to help her escape her violent husband, but he vanished the day she was due to run away. Back at the farm, Brown and Sid continue their snooping and notice Charlie hanging around, after he leaves, they find the house empty so go rummaging around for clues. They discover that Wilf took Ivan to court in an attempt to inherit the farm and business instead of Ivan, he lost giving him a clear motive. The pair are disturbed by Archie, having returned from shooting pheasants. During a mismatched scuffle between Sid and Archie, one of the latter's taxidermy dioramas is knocked off the table, diorama is of a buried pirate treasure. Brown however questions where Archie has found all the jewellery and trinkets he uses for his dioramas. He claims to find them about the place and often in the slurry tank. Brown finds Piotr's watch and Sid discovers a lot of the "buried treasure" is in fact human teeth. Brown presents this evidence to Sullivan but he remains unconvinced of Violet's innocence, none of the evidence exonerates her, in fact it only appears to make her look like a serial killer. Meanwhile at the farm, Wilf had overheard the exchange between Brown and Archie and investigates the living quarters of the farmhands, and discovers the chimney flue has been deliberately blocked by a mass of fabric, the fumes from the fire would incapacitate and kill the sleeping farmhands. Wilf confronts Archie on account of the latter's disturbed antics, and regrets providing Archie with an alibi. Shortly afterwards, Wilf is run over and killed by the family van. Lady Felicia makes the horrific discovery of his body, being eaten by pigs. At the scene, Archie informs Sullivan that he witnessed Charlie snooping around, Sullivan receives the news that Violet's pregnancy test is negative and goes to pursue Charlie who he suspects of being Violet's accomplice. Brown discovers the blocked flue and retrieves the fabric, he goes to speak with Ethel and realises that she has been lying all along. There is no way she could have seen Violet at the water trough from the kitchen window, because she is sat in her wheelchair. Nevertheless, she remains steadfast in her account, Brown then comes to the conclusion that she is telling the truth but she is lying about her disability. The fabric bunged in the flue came from one of Ethel's old dresses. She had been killing the farmhands and she killed Wilf because he had discovered that fact. Ethel promptly gets up and bolts out of the door after hitting Lady Felicia on the head with a rolling pin. Brown and Sid give chase and find themselves locked in a pigpen with some very hungry pigs, Brown explains to Sid that Ethel is suffering from Munchausen Syndrome, a mental disorder where a person fakes a disability in order to garner sympathy and assistance from others. She effectively kept Violet as her slave, and she killed Piotr to stop her losing Violet, and the farmhands were likely killed for possibly witnessing her out of bed. The two manage to escape and run into Sullivan who has managed to catch Charlie, despite their insistence, he is unconvinced of Ethel's involvement; that is until Ethel races past in the van, only to be stopped by Archie who has blocked the exit with a tractor and she is promptly arrested. Later at St. Mary's Brown meets with Charlie and the recently-freed Violet to discuss their wedding. He takes her confession, where she confesses to killing Ivan, Brown however already knew, Ethel confessed to all of the murders except Ivan's and her witness testimony was still correct. Brown then questions whether she truly wants to marry Charlie and she is hesitant because she can't tell him the truth. On the day of the wedding, Archie presents Father Brown with a present: a stuffed fox dressed up as a priest in gratitude for him catching Ethel. Charlie arrives and Brown is forced to sadly inform him that Violet will not be getting married, instead she has decided to devote herself to God and become a nun.